Christs Church and Clergy and to their answerable nature and so to domineer in and over both Domum dominium domini and so ut dominus domini nostri Mansion and Mannour of our Lord and so as Lord of our Lord and his Lordship its appendant worship homage rent and service Thirdly suppose we the word Sacraments and Prayer to be the materials of Christs and Christians Communion shall we therefore like Swine eat of his meat without observance of the order he hath set for their administration by his Ministers according to their distinct offices and functions and that as parts of his family or court of his own forming The Queen of Sheba shameth these Borderers on Jerusalem for she came from the utmost parts of the Earth to know the wisdome of Solomon and observed the house which he had built and the meat of his Table and the sitting of his Servants and the attendance of his Ministers and their apparel and his Butlers and their apparel and his ascent to the house of God and she admired them and pronounced him and them blessed of God therein and God blessed thereby 2 Chron. 9.1 to 8. But these eaters of the meat of the greater than Solomon come from Heaven to them observe not much less admire Christs wisdome Love and Will in his house formed by himself in the offices and set-estates thereof and their orderly attendance and administration of them and the comely ornaments of them all and the distinctness of the particular officers and their functions and beauty and also their relation reciprocal to God and his house and the mutual blessings communicated in all these Nay they rather as sensual gluttons and self-feeders lust after and suck up his wine and milk without seeking after his wisdome and perfect order therein loving him for his goodness therein or obeying him in his holy and so acceptable Will and Command in them all Fourthly they learned not of David to speak so slightly of these distinct Orders and Offices of the Church and their necessited relation to the Ark and the like administrations of the Priests and Levites as to call them circumstances of Religion for he saith that because they were not there in their Orders at the bringing home of the Ark God made that great breach in Israel because though Israel sought him yet they neglected the Ministerial Order God had prescribed for his Worship 1 Chron. 15.2 to 13. with Chap. 13. and Numb 4.4 15. Nor of Moses to neglect an hoof in way of compleat readiness for Gods service much less would he neglect the least hoof after it was sanctified by God for that end But what do they mean by circumstances distinctly They are vulgarly known to be three Time Place and Persons onely the third then can be the controversie Whether it be material in the Word Sacraments and Prayer publike who administreth them whether an instituted Officer or no But they are so far from holding the SacrameÌ„ts administrable by any out of an instituted office that they impose a necessity therof in preaching and praying in the congregation and the formal Protestants out of the congregration also except by reading especially in preaching since then they hold the ministry of the Church and i'ts administration so necessary unto in preaching Sacraments and prayer in Gods worship why villifie they our necessiting this Church estate to be distinctly known purposed and practised as a pertinent point of Gods worship But now to pass from these motives ab homine unto the greater à Deo call to mind the constant necessity of this official Celebration of all instituted ordinances since God set up a set Church-ministry teaching exhorting ruleing and serving and helping me and your self herein read Heb. 5. to 8 8. Exod. 25. to 31.33 to Lev. 10. 1 Chron. 20 2 Chron. 2. to 7. Ezek. 40. to 46. All which and many other parts of Scripture are wholly of one of the types of this worship summarily contrived in our present 8. verses of Rom. 12. expressed so to be 2 Cor. 6.16 1 Tim. 3.15 Rev. 21. compared with Levit. 26.11 Ezek. 37.26 27. Then in your reading the Histories and Prophesies of the Old Testament from Joshua to Malachi First mark the main scope of the Holy Ghost in them and you shall find it to be to observe the Israelites observing and neglecting the same and their omission of the matter and order thereof and their commission of the contrary false Worship of divers sorts and degrees and Gods reproofs and judgments for the same and his comforts and blessings of the walkers after that rule of his truth or true worship Secondly in reading the New Testament do the like in respect of his present Rule of true Worship both in it self and its comparisons with that his former instituted Rule of Worship prescribed in his Word of Truth and therefore called Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 Rom. 1.23 25. and comparing it with its opposites and you shall then find this our present subject not to be such circumstances ceremonies nor the like trivial trifles as the present worldly worshippers account call them But to be on the contrary of so high and deer esteem with God and his servants as they be of base and slight account with the halters between Christ and Antichrist one of which must alwayes prevail the former in love to his true Lovers in their inward and outward blessings The latter in contempt of his contemners God giving them over to strong delusions to beleeve lyes and to wonder and wander after him For 1260. years yet in quiet trading and prosperity both of outward worship and jollity while the true worshippers were forced by him them into the Inner Temple Sackcloth Rev. 11. into the wâ—lderness Rev. 12.6 14. Mat. 24.15 c. even to death Rev. 13.10 15.20 4. So that these Semi-christian doters on the 3. of the parts only of divine worship i. e. Preaching Sacraments and prayer and slighters of the rest are worse both in worship and benefits then Antichristians who highly esteem and devoutly practise the other parts in their intent and esteem and so observe the general duty of obedience to God therein though they misse the particular and thereby build their Babel and Babylonish regiment and orders instead of and as Gods City and Church with its ministry and ministrings whereunto they are also furthered and occasioned by this Semi-christian conceit and practise not only in giving way and leave thereto but even in devoutly accepting their administrations of the word Sacraments and prayer yea and in magnifying maintaining and pleading for them that are sent according to that Babylonish regiment and professe their ministry to be from by and of that Antichristian Hierarchy it self which even themselves hold and say is Antichrist and that against many heavy penaltied laws of the Land and general practises and confessions of all their fellow opposites to that Antichrist throughout all
Worship and our spiritual welfare what can be of a greater necessity of duty or concluder of Rebellion against God or murder of our own soules especially since they are expressed to be that good acceptable and perfect Will of God Rom. 12.2 That Word-worship so vehemently pressed v. 1. unto the approbation of both which we must be transformed into a renewedness of mind and disconformed from the World-worship as dead unholy and unacceptable unto God v. 1. and renounce our own Wills as evil odious and imperfect v. 2. by which high dignity of the Commander and Commender of these for his own peculiar Divine Worship and his Worshippers eternal glory and the Divine Nature of the Worship and Worshippers and the heavenly end of the former and benefit to the latter and also by the Deity of the Mediator and inspirer of them thus manifested another promised branch is also performed but competently indeed in respect of what may more be said of them yet compleatly being compared with the dignity of any other thing but God their original Author and ultimate End and his Saints for whom they and all things but God are and by and for whom they are exercised and their Institutors and Divine Declarer and Grace and Heaven for which they are But I haste to their further dignifying by shewing the odious baseness of their Opposites Antichrist and his Worship having only first marshalled them into their comely order lineal and collateral Psal 19. Gods natural works are highly extolled in that their line is gone through the Earth and their words unto the ends of the World v. 4. and the like is said of the Sun v. 6. but the extension of Gods spiritual works are far more magnified in the rest of that Psalm and throughout that spirituall Record nothing is more evident and eminent both in lineal and collateral extension than the pillar and ground of true Worship which is the House and Church of the Living God 1 Tim. 3.15 For the Word is Truth both as the Sanctifier of the Truth of Salvation and also of Worship but the Church is not the pillar and ground of the former but of the latter it is as shall be synopsed presently which also best sorteth with the subject of that whole Epistle especially at that part thereof which is an instruction of Timothy how to behave himself in ordering and acting Gods publike worship The rock and root of this line is God the Father as the absolute Willer thereof the Anchor or Hank end thereof is Christ as the original Revealer thereof his immediate Deputies therein are the Apostles Prophets and Evangelists by their precepts and practice thereof the Divine Record whereof is their Writings of the new Testament a Divine Progeny and previal Line indeed but the internal Line hath five parts 1. The Church 2. The power thereof 3. The Church-estates 4. Their Functions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.4 or Portions of Faith v. 3. 5. Their object or matter What these five things are is shewn but I onely touch their lineal or successive order The filial or posterial Line of Gods Worship extendeth to all publike union and communion with God and his Saints in all grace and glory First in this life as an Earnest Broad-seal Livery of seisine and Court or Temple of Sanctum Sanctorum and the very Heaven an heavenly Issue and Inheritance indeed and so a Royal Race and Heavenly Line indeed The collateral respect of Divine Worship is either internal or external the former is the fraternity of its parts which is actual in its four last parts and virtual in the Church as causally respecting each branch of the four brotherhoods each whereof hath nine particulars according to the number of the Church-estates or Memberships 4. Whereof are integral as Children Women Men and Prophets And 5. Organical or Ministerial as the Teacher the Exhorter the Distributer the Ruler the pitier whose 9. portions priviledges or proportions of Faith Rom. 12.3 6. or Functions v. 4. may by these nine terms be understood receptive submissive active instructive teaching exhorting distributing ruling and pittying but the particulars of the matter wherein those Functions are to be exercised cannot so briefly be expressed but by reference to what is said of them which is sufficient for this place over unto in by and for these brotherhoods is the Church power authoritative over them in giving them their being or essentiative unto them preservative in them usive by them beneficial for them for all gifts ministrations and operations are given to the Church to profit each other member its Function and its matter to be executed 1 Cor. 12.7 The external fraternity of our Evangelical Divine Worship is either spiritual or natural the spiritual is either cotypical or antitypical the particulars of them all are 7 five are past one is and the seventh is to come so exactly is this white Line parallel'd with that black one in time number and particulars Rev. 17. though in all substantials exactly antiparallel'd as may appear in the counter-parallel of this Image of Christ with that of Antichrist The cotypes then are five Paradise Noah's Ark Abraham's Family Moses Tabernacle and Solomon's Temple which I cannot plainly and plentifully say and seal in few words and yet many I may not now use 1. Paradise as a type of the Church Adam as the Teacher or Declarer by Moral Teaching and the Tree of Knowledge As the typical preserver by the Tree of Life and Exhortation As the Orderer or Ruler by casting out of Paradise This was also a Legal Type of Heaven and the first Covenant 2. Noah's Ark. Noah the teacher of Righteousness by the spiritual signs of the Ark The typical preserver of all in the Ark by the Food of the Ark The Ruler by admitting into and rejecting out of the Ark. This was a Legal and Evangelical Type cleering the worship after the Fall 3. Abraham's Family in Covenant with God Abraham the Teacher of his Family by publication of Gods Promises and Commandements The Sealer thereof by Circumcision and the Sacrifices The Ruler by Excommunication This was an Evangelical Type cleering the second Covenant made with Adam Gen. 3.15 4. The Tabernacle The Priests and Levites as Teachers by Moral and Typical preaching As Exhorters and Sealers by the Passover Sacraments and Sacrifices As Rulers by Tryal shutting out and purifying the Lepers the Unclean c. This was properly legal and cleering the first Covenant made with Adam Gen. 2.17 Yet secondly it Was Evangelical as typing the Worship of the Gospel 5. The Temple The Priests c. as in the Tabernacle but thereto as also to the Temple as being neerer to Christ then the other three there was also annexed a cleerer distinctness of the teaching and offices of Christ in the Colledge of the Prophets and their prophecying exhorting and ordering the children of the Pâ—ophets and in Jerusalem as the prime place of Expounders of the Law
Christendom and also against the ground of Scripture and reason approved by them themselves who most professe hatred against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the self-convicted yet are they herein contradictory to themselves false to their own grounds and condemned in avowing by their practise what they so disavow in their eminent profession But since their profession against Antichrist concurreth with the prescript worship of the Scripture cited and this part thereof now in handling and its and their many parallels let us lift up our eyes to behold that cleer light of those and the like Scriptures which so gloriously magnifie divine worship and provoke us to the knowledge thereof even of those parts thereof which their onely opposites do in their protesting against Antichrist so dignifie by the rule of contraries in their placing the essence of that Antichrist in his counterfeiting and usurping the parts of worship besides Preaching Sacraments and Prayer withall supposing that their practise in the positive would also follow theirs were it not for the worldly sinister respects of the flatterings and fooleries of the world-worship or Prelacy especially of those three parts thereof which they both in profession and practice so highly and positively magnifie which indeed will enforce the introduction of the rest by their own necessiting them to the Ministry and that to the Church Thirdly the particular Churches of Ephesus and Corinth are expresly said 1 Tim. 3.15 2 Cor. 6.16 to be the houses of God and that without peculiarity and therefore indefinitly and as such and therefore of every particular Church for quod est quatenus ipsum est de omni That Church also indefinitly taken and so every particular Church is there said to be the pinacle and subject of truth i. e. the first evidencer and evident part of divine true worship and the radical ground subjective chair and proper basis thereof and the then true Church of Rome is said to be the body of that word-worship in Christ Rom. 12.5 as above is particularized for by comparing that v. 5. with v. 1. it is cleered to be a particular part of that word-worship and with v. 7 8. to be the body and subject thereof which is so evident in that place that I will not farther prove it but even by It prove what is inferred from 1 Tim. 3.15 against the two oppositions thereof The former is by expounding the word Truth onely of the Doctrines of Faith and Holyness but are not the Doctrines of Gods Word of truth Joh. 17.17 concerning his true worship instituted onely thereby and our answerable holy serving him therein so well as those concerning Faith and Holiness personal Why are they not so proper yea so special truths of that word of truth Nay they are more proper to the Church since Faith and its personal fruits are proper and immediate to the person of each Christian and the other parts of worship proper and immediate to the Church yea these have no other subject pinacle pillar chair nor ground neither can they subsist nor exist in act but as of and in the Church but Faith and therefore all its fruits are in their perfection of parts in each true adult son called and regenerate before he is admitted into a Church for he is thereinto received as being such and not as to be made such and again upon manifestation that he is not such he is rejected and cast thereout as not fit to be of the Church and therefore is he not to expect nor receive his Faith in from or by the Church how then is it the Fountain or Root of the Scripture-Gospel or Doctrine of Salvation by Faith working by love as so working as the Papists hold as their life on the one side Or as the Controverters against the same say How is it the Post or Pasquil pillar of Rome whereon all publike notifications use to be affixed in respect of its shewing Faith unto the passers by A very poor interpretation of that place and an embasing of the Church which to dignifie in a special manner is the scope of that sentence wherein the Popish Exposition is the far better onely whereas this high dignifying the Church to provoke Timothy and other Officers thereof to a reverent diligent and cheerful discharge of their Ministry therein is by the word as its Dignifier and so it is evident that the dignity of the causall priority and the fundamental and fontal originalness of the word it self as the proper truth of God Joh. 17.17 is excepted as God is excepted in this express universal assertion 1 Cor. 15.27 For he hath put all things under his Christs feet wch is in the next words expressed But when he saith all things are put under his feet it is evident that he is excepted which did put all things under him so that that is as evidently false as the other though not so unsavoury and ridiculous in making the Church it self but a Bill-post of truth which hath but this goodnes to oppose the falshood of the former nor excuse but that they know not the proper meaning of truth in that place nor the distinct acception thereof for true worship in the Scripture both in its positive and privative use thereof yea and both for divine worship in the general and also more particularly for these special particulars thereof in hand as Rom. 1.25 Who turned the truth of God into a lye or the true worship of God into false and worshipped and served the Creature rather then the Creator i. e. in their worshipping and serving him in by and under created resemblances which God accounteth for a serving the creature according to all Gods natural courses and appearances and no institution of his supposing any other rather than their Creatour whose Will they were to know in that their divine Worship for of the Idolatries in the Scripture both of the Jews and Gentiles there is no one wherein by the intent of the Worshipper there was any other original person of the Deity adored than the same which we adore as Creator of the world Of which briefly as followeth Of False Counterfeit or World-Worship FAlse Counterfeit or World-worship is instituted by Man having two Roots and moving Reasons but both rotten and unreasonable the first is because man hath instituted in him a duty to please God in a visible instituted Worship which he supposeth he hath discharged when he hath separated to him from common use the best and most acceptable thing in his judgment which he therefore presumeth that God so judgeth and accepteth also which is expressed Esa 41.1 to 7. and illustrated unto Chap. 44.20 as the Sum and Index of this point whose vindex possesseth the third part of the Scripture and all the world but a few The other reason is because the same ordinances in kind are sanctified and blessed by GOD especially by Christ under the Gospel or at or since his coming in the flesh This is the
which will shortly appear in their glory and exaltation according to Esa 2.2 3 4. then shall we see World-worship destroyed and Word-worship alone exalted throughout the World I judged it my duty to be instrumental to its bringing forth into the World My own experience also of their great worth was no small motive to their bringing forth lest peradventure these precious Dawnings or rather Radiant-beams of Light should have perished in the Birth and so have been buried in the dark vale of Oblivion There is also of the same Authors a large Treatise of the Sabbath or the Lords Day ready for the Press since the Sabbath and Worship are an inseparable pair of Twins being both founded on the first Table of Gods Law These Treatises of them had not been divided had opportunity served but wanting the same thy acceptation of this may promote the publication of that Which is divided into three parts or periods VIZ. Moral Mosaical and Messiacal In the first period is shewn us divine duty and rationality with seven practical Observations thereof to second and countenance the same before its precepting Exod. 20. Secondly that it was all the Mosaicâ— period commanded practised and approved upon the same Moral Reasons Causes and Motives with the first though covered with Judaical glosses and Bondaging Austerities in the third period that it was Gospelized and entred thereinto at and by Christs Resurrection with the same soul right faculties and priviledges that it had at the first Sabbath and that in a far higher kind and more glorious degree and also that it was observed and approved by Christ his Apostles and the Primitive Churches forty Arguments stated anatomizing the whole for the vindication thereof 12. at the least for each period and all the main Objections of the Adversaries answered In which Treatise Adam's Estate is also largly handled in relation to his sanctification of the first Sabbath Gen. 2. Also divers other small Pieces VIZ. A Body of Divinity epitomized of God of the Creation of the ten Precepts paralleled with the Sabbath of the Lords Prayer of Supremacy of Adams three-fold Estate more at large of the original working of the Evangelical Mystery of Iniquity and the generation of Antichrist in the Apostles days Wherein he not onely cleereth divers obscure passages but also the whole scope of the Epistles of John and Jude This with some other of his Writings are likewise an excellent Introduction to the understanding of the Prophesies Also he wrote A Chronology of the times of the Persian Monarchy and upon the Prophesies with several others and many fragments of precious use all which are well-worthy the publication For all his Writings savour much both of Knowledge and Piety As for those who would have no controversal Divinity published let them go and learn what that meaneth Dan. 12.4 Many shall run to and fro i. e. in discourse and knowledge shall be increased Besides our Author herein handleth the main Principles of Religion very judiciously in an excellent method As for obscure Words Phrases in this Book observe what our Author saith upon the like occasion saith he you will most disrellish the concise compoundness and the like-soundness of some Words but they being intelligible to the verst in reading and hearing the first sort will be palliated by their saving tedious Circumloqutions and the second by their helping memory and delight And in another place speaking of the excellency of the like matter he saith My Wits must be erect and your ears arrect in the fitting Words Phrases and Form suitable thereto in newness because the radicalness is farther to be now discovered than formerly and the Adversaries have by their new fraud devised new Weapons and Stratagems which must by New Wisdome be defeated and by their worse fury more charged their Canons and fierced their rage wherefore we must new our offensives and defensives and re-inforce our courage and powers or decline Gods War with Meroz and get its Curse yet vvill I frame all so intelligibly as I can yea and so plausibly as the intelligiblenes of the matter wil suffer In reading this Book make that use thereof which the Author intends who saith that the 1 Cor. 8. plentifully and plainly enough reproveth all swaying the Conscience in purpose or practice by and for any personal respect of the Teacher or fore-practice even under great censures therein expressed Wherefore saith he I will fear and flee what I can from all perswading the Conscience but by helping it to understand the Conscience-swaying Word of God by the rules thereof and our enlighted reason natural in natural things and matters of fact and especially spiritual by consequences from the Positions of Faith and received therewith and thereby So assuring my self that the sincere and serious Seekers and Lovers of Truth will find a large Field of Knowledge for themselves to walk in with great variety in the unfolding of Adams several Estates in Paradise Also that Christian temper of love mercy compassion pity forbearance and forgiveness Jam. 3.17 18. lively displayed which should be exercised for the restoring of an offending brother with the odiousness of the contrary proud persecuting carriage And likewise an excellent Discovery of the unity and peculiarity of the Gospel Church-state with the diversity of its gifts offices and Administrations entirely and exactly compacted Those eight verses being as well saith the Author A divine general Prescript and particular Description of the Gospel Worship of God and Heirship of his Sons and of their reciprocal union of Church-state and communion in the Ordinances thereof for proof of which and for thy further satisfaction in the Premises I refer thee to the Book it self and rest remaining Truth 's devoted Servant H. P. July 31. 1656. TO THE Right Honourable the LORDS of the Upper-House of PARLIAMENT The Humble Petition of Thomas Brewer close Prisoner in the Kings-Bench Sheweth FIrst that the Petitioner was Anno Dom. 1626. October the 18. imprisoned by the Prelates and their second Court-Day after fined one thousand pounds and condemned to be close imprisoned till he at Pauls Cross should recant his Legal Loyal Reasonable and Seasonable saying That Because the Prelates did not derive their Offices from his Majesty as they ought therefore he durst not partake with them nor the Derivers of their Offices from them in the proper Works of their Offices II. That that Fine and Imprisonment hath been extended without mitigation to all extremity in their power to the near ruining of his Life and Livelyhood ever since onely for the said saying on due occasion by their long-laboured Project without hope of relief but by Parliament which is the sum of what ensueth III. That that saying was Legal by the Law of God and by many Statutes and the Common-Law and that their so Fining Imprisoning and extream Pressures were Illegal the Petitioner is ready to prove and also that they profess that their Illegal Derivation in
Deputations of Christ and of like confident expectation thereof in the greater charge and duty to obey and also in the greater measure of gifts which are to be supposed in the Ministers whereof an answerable success is to be expected 8. None hath right to exercise as a Prophet out of a Church-Assembly at least but to Church members much less one that is no Church-member whether within or without the Church though they may and that successfully to the begetting and nourishing Faith and its fruits exercise the same gift because and as it is personal which also hath a less measure of authority charge promise and gifts annexed 9. The scope of the Prophets is to speak to the edification exhortation and comfort of the Church and not for triall no nor exercise of gifts though both may also yield that use and therefore distinct prayer in those respects onely is not good though the goodness of prayer alone be added because it is here used as a Sanctifier of an action and not as a distinct action for the edifying exhorting or comforting the Church much less is the Churches custome especially if begun on a divers reason warrant for it but least of all fear of Innovation both which are of through and for Babylonism and nourish up carkasses and traditions yea tyranny in the Church to the eating the heart of Religion and purity of Worship thereout Secondly therefore matters of sin or disorder therein are no more censurable within that time then the sins and disorders committed in any other Exercise but are to be referred to the Exercise of Ruling at least if great and turbulent but if onely in the length of time and number or other orders agreed by the Prophets they are to be remedied first by the reasons perswasion of the Prophets 1 Cor. 14.32 or by them referred to the censure of the Church in case of obstinacy Thirdly therefore each is to be referred to the knowledge of his own ability and to his fitting it with Text Doctrine and Manner for the fruit is much diminished by the inequality of the matter and ability Fourthly though respect be to be had of strangers in many mean circumstances and observations the main of the course is not to be shaped nor altered for them Again briefly of the Organical and five Officers there are five distinct objects functions portions and proportions of Faith Rom. 12.7 8. with 3 4 5 6. The first is of the Teacher who is v. 7. confined within Teaching which is fourfold Lingual Grammatical Logical and Ethical The first is his apt expressing the Original Tongues by the Mother-Tongue of the Church The second is his apt expounding the meaning of the Holy Ghost in the Grammer Phrases and Figures either in his own person or metaphrastically in the person of the Writer The third is his analytical dividing the word of truth aright into its proper parts and his genetical incorporating them into one body enspired or ensouled by the scope of the Holy Ghost The fourth is his distinct extracting the Doctrines of the Holy Ghost testimentary and preceptive and the genuine consequences from them both confirming and confuting and his suasive pressing them to approbation The second is of the Exhorter which is there called Exhortation which is either unto good from evil or to stay in good or flee out of evil which four are peculiarly called Exhortation Dehortation Comfort and Terrour Now the Sacraments and singing Psalms being both teachingly exhorting and exhortingly teaching are the works of both these Offices but most plenarily and properly of the Exhorter but prayer is equally common not only to these two but to the other three Offices before and after the execution of their offices and that in respect of their offices and not onely of their persons The third is that of the Ruler which consisteth in ordering of others in the execution of their functions and the Church in its Church-duties as its decreeing admission excommunication ordination degradation c. or in executing his own the former is his ordering the Church unto and in its Assembly and in its Members and Officers unto and in their Church-works late mentioned and promised the latter is his admitting excommunicating members ordaining degrading Officers and dismissing the Church and in respect of other Churches and persons and absent members to receive and read in the Church their Letters and write and send to them in this respect he is written unto under the name of the Angel of the Church seven times Rev. 2. 3. Chap. and charged with the faults of their Churches as not using their offices to their best redressing them and commended for their good on the contrary Fourthly the Function of the Distributer to provide for the relief of the Poor of the Church by the richer ones thereof and to do all the services of the Church in matter of provision by employment of Church-stock buying selling or building or ordering its meeting-place and following its necessary Suits in the Law and providing bread wine water and other necessaries for the Elders Bishops or Pastors proper discharge of their offices in which respect he is called the Servant Helper and Deacon of the Church The last and least is the Function of the Pittier shewer of mercy Widow or Deaconness of the Church which is to tend upon the health of each member thereof in cases of need as in sickness child-birth and in all matters of preservation of their persons so that by these five offices and their functions all the needs of the Church are supplyed as by the five offices of Christ our Prophet Priest King Provider and Preserver and the answerable gifts of the mind infused and acquisite and humane innate abilities three whereof are the three faculties of the reasonable soul apprehending applying and expressing and two of the sensitive i.e. desire-of provision and preservation and so all Gods promises Christs purchases and the Spirits graces for us and all that Faith Hope and Love expect in this life is in these as in the immediate niples spoons and hands of the nursing Mother the Church encorporate for the visible preservation of the mystical or saved Church wherein the one half of the special uses and ends promised is performed and the other half will be shewn after my present summary manner by observing in them all God as our Lord as in the former half he is shewn to be Jesus or our Saviour which two are the sole object of Faith 2 Pet. 1.2 for they are means of Gods sanctifying both for his service and our preservation and that convertibly for whatsoever is divinely to serve God is divinely to preserve his and è contra and wherein can he be more glorified by us than by our acknowledging of all these to be means of and by God for our salvation and of all them and our selves also to be for Gods service and worship for if they be for Gods Divine
nine preceding ones all ten being prescribed unto and to be practised by the body of the Church to whom they were written Chap. 1.1 not by nor to any one or few thereof which also the whole ten verses shew Secondly the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 animadvertize or censure him or bring him to tryal or noting with notes or marks of guiltiness or not guiltiness is too barely translated note him which each person can do alone and may suppose in that wrong bare sense to be his duty but it is a legal and judiciary term of the Romane and Grecian Judicature when the Senate thereof tryed the arraigned and if they found him guilty they signed noted and censured him by a black Stone Bean or Pease c. Of that of Antichrist Stative Hierarchical Ecclesiastical Vniversal Papal Romane Bestial Regal 2 Thes 2.3 4 8. Dan. 11.21 31 36 to Chap. 12.11 Rev. 13. 1 Joh. 2.18 and 4.3 Matth. 24.15 Mar. 13.14 1. VVHensoever as the erection of a perpetuall Inquisition-Court and authoritive persecution spying spiting trying frying the four legs of the Beast which bear him up and about his mischief 2. Any man which sheweth the boundless extent of the Kingdome of Antichrist over all men especially any religious man 3. Is reported i. e. proved by the Worlds word of truth or affidavit truly or falsly upon knowledge or suspicion of errour or envy c. they are all alike currant in the Devils Antichrists the Fleshes and the Worlds Courts and courses especially in England the old Ass of Antichrist and Issachar and yet not much reformed but onely refined swept and pranked 4. By any of my followers Formalists or Conformitans i. e. any truly or seeming worldling Rev. 13.3 14. on the earth 5. To have sinned i. e. to have broke my Canons Decrees and Traditions they being the living aâ—d authorized Scripture and the Light Soul and Life of Gods Word 6. Let all my Apparatours and their Praeparers the Priests Church-wardens and Side-men of every Parish 7. Present and cite him to my Diocesan Courts and Judges 8. Let them examine article and accuse him canonically though rudely upbraidingly and scurrilously 9. If he compurge not or 10. If they have any colour of proof to satisfie the world withall 11. Admonish him thrice by saying I admonish you once twice thrice though it be all in one breath without reason motive or respite but onely for form of deluding and abusing Tit. 3.10 12. If he commute not an impudent legal term for bribery in Hierarchical Courts 13 Excommunicate him to force him thereto if he be rich or for spite if he be religious and thereby send him to hell and then 14. Charge the Priest of the Parish as his underling Bayliff or Curate 15. To pronounce it in his Precinct Parish-Church or Chappel of Ease and 16. To forbid all communion with him spiritual and natural personal and publike and then 17. Signifie it to the Magistrate Unto imprisonment or burning 18. But if he commute or conform remit all that is free him from guilt and pain of prison purse and hell it self effectively say the Formalâ—sts and proper Hierarchians respectively and declaringly say the Reformists and mixtly say the Conformists and mixt sort as in the Sacraments and Ordination who are distracted by between and from both i. e. the Familistical takers of the Character in their right hand and yet Gods Ministrations also of his Word Sacraments and Prayer onely in the Church-Estate Ministry and Discipline they are meer Hierarchâ—sts and Enquirers and Presenters of their Parishioners faults and fames and pronouncers of the Prelates sentences and often in the first and last act of persecution of the Saints and promotion of Antichrist how hotly soever on their Mountains they profess preach and press Christ and Christianity 1. Compare this discipline with the true and it is shorter then it by the two first parts thereof and their 16. particulars and in the last it onely counterfeiteth the form therof so far as it standeth with Prelatical pride and profit yet neither the body soul nor life thereof is observed 2. Compare it with its fellow-falshood on the other side and this is less opposite to and differing from the true than that both in the body or parts thereof and in scope and spirit for the soul of that is the very spirit of envy and spite usurpation and opposition or all in one word disdisfraction dis-disseparatisme Jude 19. for detraction of others own from them and of themselves and their duties from others which is so strong in them that they break all Christs bonds and bounds and run wild against the so addicted to Scripture-rules and conscience that they cross their absolute will which they stole from God though it be his peculiar prerogative and the neerest known Diamond of his Essence and Diadem Of that of Personal Antichrist or the Spirit of Antichrist in persons professing Christ 1 Joh. 2.18 4.2 2 Joh. 7.3 Joh. 9. or of Disseparaters of themselves or Separatists Jude 19. Esa 65.5 Rom. 16.17 Gal. 5.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in both i. e. Disseparatisme 1 Cor. 4.7 Prov. 28.13 He that hideth his sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy Therefore whosoever discovereth c. 1. VVHosoever as a precious enquirable certain and general duty promise and benefit 2. Discovereth i. e. by listening peeping sifting or enquiring findeth and then by whispering backbiting and reproaching divulgeth dayly to whomsoever will receive and then to the Church that will hear or hath communion or union with him 3. Sins How small soever in nature provocation and number yea though seeming none to the doer nor cleer to the discoverer nor convinced nor convinceable by him but onely offences to us and that taken but not justly given 4. In the Saints of a Church To whom Gods peculiar promises of grace and mercy are made especially to whom God hath given special Offices states or abilities as Canaan and Cham did in Noah Doeg in David and Abimelech Shimei in David Diotrephes in John and his friends either true or false 5. And forsaketh those Saints in what anger and haste of heart he can and manifesteth it by general means as RACA i. e. by slighting and scorning words and gestures c. especially by particularizing some to work their particular mischief termed standing against the blood of their Neighbour even to a Diotrephal Excommunication 6. Shall be highly esteemed for those fruits of Gal. 5.20 i. e. hatred strife jealousie wrath contentiousness separatingness obstinateness enviousness murderousness and the like oft elsewhere 7. And rewarded with his serviles applause of who is able to war with him and with their wondering and wandering after him and with Mordecais honour for discovering Bigthana and Teresh and with doing that is domineering in the meetings of his Diotrephal tyranny or Mauzim or God-Church Dan. 11.39 over some of understanding c. till
the time be out v. 35. and to his raigning as a King of such Disseparatists in his own swolne conceit 1 Cor. 4.6 7. Thus hath malice slain the Gospel-spirit of the Diotrephists to pervert Christs word of truth and mercy to erect Antichrists fraud and fierceness with this bragging and begging Sermon though the plain meaning of this Scripture be clean contrary even to commend as wisdome our own confession of our own known and Conscience-wounding sins to God who knoweth them and our own forsaking them but not to command under the censure of Treason against God our publishing others rumoured facts and unconvinced sins unto men who know them not nor our disseparating our selves and whom else we can from their persons and communion spiritual and natural personal and publike nor to make this frowardness opposite to Christs meek-love-mercy to be that holy towardness teachableness and tractableness toward Christ which he requireth nor that contenting glory joy nor happiness which we desire it being a rejoycing in iniquity murderousness and mischief hated by God and his Saints 1 Cor. 13.6 Rom. 1.31 much less to be irreconcilable to them and inveterate against them and irregular in evil courses toward them These errours and erroneous mischiefs squeezed out of or rather falsly fathered on the word of truth and life especially on this special portion thereof exceedingly aggravateth the impiety and perniciousness of this personall Antichristianisme especially they being made by their Extracters to be parts of Divine Discipline devised by man and so abomination to Christ and Christians and yet pretended from the Word and so making Christ and his Scripture seem contradictory to himself and his Scripture of truth to be falshood and its Spirit and scope of meek-love-mercy to seem to these Deceivers and their Receivers to be a Patron of Usurpation and Pride and a Pattern of Mischief and Cruelty which is very neer if not meer forgery of Christs Scripture incurring all the plagues and curses of his true Scripture The Exposition of Matth. 18. especially of ver 15. to 20. THE 18th Chapter of Matthew best brooketh its name Chapter or Head of Scripture of any that I know First it is equal with any other in all vulgar use Secondly in its Head and Chapter of Gospel-matter it exceedeth other in the expresness thereof v. 1 4. and in the answerable and connected prosecution thereof unto the end of the Chapter And also Chap. 19.1 it is said that Christ had finished all that matter before he passed to any other Thirdly that matter so finished is the handling of the truest state and highest degree of heavenlyness and that in all its distinct parts of sonship servantship and heirship in our relation to God and to our threefold Collaterals viz. to our fellow-sons fellow-servants and coheirs The first of the three unto v. 14. The second unto v. 20. The third in the rest of the Chapter and that both lineally and collaterally and also in the affirmative and negative Fourthly that Christ our sole Gospel-head personal and publike is the sole decider of this head quâ—stion of the chiefship in Heavenliness all which call us to a special respect hereof in the whole and in each of its distinct parts The summariest expression of the affirmative part of the whole is in this word meek-love-mercy and of the negative in this proud-rail-racking The middle part of them is the center chair tryer and crown of the rest and for that reason placed before the first Col. 2.5 for otherwise cultive order and divine Church-worship in the course of generation and nature is after Faith and Personal Union with God thereby for that giveth us right of publike communion with him as with our husband but Conversion by Faith justifieth us and evidenceth our son-like Union with him Heb. 11.1 which our Child-meekness v. 4 called foolishness weakness baseness despisedness and nothingness 1 Cor. 1.27 28. justifieth to be true faith that God onely and no man may have the glory v. 29 30 31. which I desire may be specially considered and throughout my handling the second part remembred lest we deal about the hull and carkase of Religion omitting the precious kernel life and soul thereof and mark that this soul or spirit of Faith Christ and the Word is enmity and implacably opposite to that of Workes-Worth Antichrist and the World This middle or second part of this Chapter being the center throne tryer and crown of the rest and my present endeavours being in and for a Church and spoken and heard by Church-right the Church-use and exercise of this head-grace and soul of Religion is first to be handled for the Church is the center about which this meek-love-mercy is to move and work it is the throne wherein it exerciseth its supream authority it is the tryer of the truth and power thereof at our admission into it and in our being in it and therefore its approbation is the Crown and it the Crowner thereof and its due condemnation the discrowner thereof but onely upon full discovery that it is false and counterfeit and after all divine regular proceedings unto and in that tryall especially it evidently and eminently exercising in them all the true kind and pregnant degree of this meek-love-mercy without which all due conviction of obstinacy is not used without which no Excommunication ought to be by any Church decreed much less executed in affections or actions but least of all may any or many members so discommunicate any or many members or the Church it self whereof they are or any other yea these two last God hath reserved to himself as his peculiar prerogative and therefore our present Church-discipline nor any rule nor grace thereof is to be extended to them without flat rebellion This our second or middle part v. 15. to 20. is an authoritive or regular exercising and trying of that head or heart-grace of meek-love-mercy the subject matter of the 14. first verses and that in three parts or degrees The first is between the tryer and the tryed alone v. 15. The 2d between one or two moe v. 16. as an help both to the first in repentance and to the third in due and certain tryal of guiltiness The third between the tryed and the Church and that before and after that tryal accomplished affirmed v. 17. and ratified v. 18 19 20. There is a connexion of this matter with the former expressed v. 15. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in relation to v. 14. that is it ought to be for the recovery of our sick professing brother if he be curable but if not then for preservation of the Church and with the latter in this word then v. 21. But first of the body of this matter it self and first of the first part or degree thereof v. 15. The sole Institutor Law-giver and head of the Instituted Church prescribeth herein the first part and Use of Divine Church-discipline which is both a service of